In the early days of the Gunpowder era, most armies had special troops who were trained to throw primitive-fused bombs. These early grenades were cumbersome and heavy, so only the strongest men were selected for grenadier duty. In time, hand grenades became standard issue ordnance for most infantry units and the term "Grenadier" was used to designate elite units. In modern infantry companies, some troops are issued grenade launchers that cover the area between the maximum distance of a thrown hand grenade and the minimum effective distance of a mortar.